Package-sealing apparatus.



No. 848,735. PATENTED APR. 2, 1907.

A G. B. FROST.

PACKAGE SEALING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.28.1907.

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CLARENCE B. FROST, or CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

PACKAGE-SEALING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 28, 1907. Serial No. 354,449.

Patented April 2,1907.

1'0 all whom/it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CLARENCE B. Fnosr, of Cambridge, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Package-Sealing Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to package-sealing apparatus.

The object of the invention is to provide improved means for directing a strip of binding-tape to a device for rendering the tape adhesive and thence to the package which is to be sealed, including improved meansfor retaining the tab end of the strip projecting in a position convenient for use, but out of contact with said device.

To this end the invention comprises, two surfaces spring -*pressed together between which the tape passes, arranged at such an angle and position that the tape on issuing over the device for thereforrn is projected On the farther side rendering it adhesive.

of the device the tape passes under a guidepin and through a swinging carriage, which sup orts the, tab end when necessary, allows a s ightforw ard and backward movement thereof, and at the same time readily permits removal of the tape from the carriage for renewing the adhesive qualities of the projecting portion.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of the apparatus, partly in section. Fig. 2 represents a plan view of the same with the moved. Fig. 3 is an'enlargement of a detail seen in front elevation. I

Referring to the drawings, represents a frame, in which is supported a device for rendering tape adhesive. s here represented,

this; ,onsisjts of a water-pan 11, into which a 112' dips, co'yi'fe'red with an absorbent material, so that moisture rises either by rotation of the wheel ,9; by ca illary attraction and maintains the top su ace thereof moist. It is contemplated that with this device tape will be emloyed in which a coating of gum or :muciaginous material has been applied to one surface of the tape and dried thereon, re-

quiring only the addition of moisture to make t adhesive; but it is obvious that, the

or that anotheri form pan might contain mucilage instead of water of device for rendering tl'ie t'ape adhesive might. be substituted.

"lheftfapeis marked lh'andwhen being upper part rethe surface of the wheel being drawn forth passes between directing-plates 1? 18, over moistem'ng-wheel 12,under guidepin 19, through carriage 20, and thence out from the apparatus. be drawn from any convenient source. A convenient method of supporting the directingplates 17 18 is shown, in which the under plate has a side ear 24 projecting downward, in which is a slot 2.2, preferably set at an inclination to the plane of the plate 18, and this is held in place by a screw 21, which passes through the slot into a support rising from the edge of the water-pan. The upper .plate 17 is made of flexible spring material,

is atits rear end fast to a transverse bar supits "forward end lies in parallel contact with the under plate, pressing against the same b the force of its spring characteristic in suc manner as to exert pressure u on the strip of tape passin between it and t e under plate. The 'paralle surfaces thus formed constitute guides for the tape, suing from between them in the direction of their parallelism. It is contemplated that the tape em loyed will have some degree of elasticity. iiVhen directed forward, as shown in Fig. 1, the tape rises somewhat, as shown by the full line, until the weight of the. probends downward, normally passing thus over and beyond the moistening device. When ,'theprojecting-extremity is pulled,'the tape is-drawn more taut and comes into-contact with-the. top of the moistening ,which it rises, owing to its elasticity, -;the forward pull is relaxed. g The guide-pin 19 is 2 device intended to inwheeland for this p irpose is set so that the straight line between its under surface and the directing-plates intersects the moistening wheel, and when the tape is made taut by drawing outward it touches the upper surface of the moistening-wheel, as indicated by the dotted position. The projecting end, which mi ht sink into contact with the outer part of t e moistening device, is supported u on the carriage, (shown in the drawings,) which constitutes another feature of the invention and is conveniently arranged as fol-- lows: In the under side of the guide-pin a groove is milled to receive two hanging wires 20, one designed to support each edge of the tape, these eing hung on cross-pins25, set therein and being free to swing thereon and The supply of tape may which direct the tapeisjecting portion overcomes the stiffness and sure contact of the tape with the moistening- 9 ported at the top of the under plate, and at a device, from when presses upward against the under side of guide-pin 19. When not in use, it may fall and be sup' orted at 27. If it be desired to remoisten t e projecting tab end, which has passed the place where the moistening operation is normally performed, this may be accomplished by pushing it downward with the finger, when the side supports 27 swing outward, allowing it to be pushed down and touched to the outer surface of the moistening-wheel, after which it may be'aflixed to the package and as much additional tape as desired drawn forth. Upon raising the tab end the tape slips easily between the side supports, which swing outward pose, and when the tape is brought against the guide-pin 19, as it necessarily is on being raised for severing by the blade 31, these supports automatically swing back under the tape to hold it upon its release, being balanced by the projectingends 28.

Tape is found in practice to have varying degrees of elasticity and varying degrees of stiffness, in which case the height of its trajectory over the moistening device needs to be varied; It is one feature of the invention to accomplish this by adjusting the position of the directing-plates angularly or other wise with respect to the moistening device. This is accomplished by virtue of the slot 22 in ear 24 and the pivot 21, which enable the N combination with for that purdirecting-plates to be turned at any angle and also to be raised or lowered in conformity with the needs of the particular variety of tape or to the particular conditions of Weather, which, it is found, sometimes affect the tape from day to day.

I claim 1. A device for rendering tape adhesive, in plates set approximately in parallelism, engaging the tape on opposite sides and directing it over and normally out of influence of said device.

' 2. I A device for rendering tape adhesive, in combination with plates arranged to engage opposite sides of the tape and direct the tape, fixed pivotally near said device, whereby by adjustment of the plates about the pivot the tape may be directed at varying angles over said device.

3. A device for rendering tape adhesive, in combination with a stationary guide for tape arranged to direct tape over said device, and

means to adjust the position of said guide angularly with respect thereto.

4. A device for rendering tape adhesive, in combination with a support for the tape issuing -therefrom, comprising swinging rests therefor, one normally under each edge of the ta e and SWlH lH sidewise to ermit as- O b sage of the tape to'and from its normal posi tion.

In testimony .whereof I hereto affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

CLARENCE B. rnosr. Witnesses M. E. MURPHY, EVERETT E. KENr. 

